Cleanliness may be a critical requirement for various devices. For example, optical components (e.g., mirrors, windows, sensors/detectors or the like), inspection systems/modules, electrical devices as well as various other products may have to satisfy certain cleanliness requirements, or otherwise they may be deemed defective.
Special attention must be paid when such a device is packaged for storage and/or transportation to prevent or reduce contamination. The sources of contamination may be from the device itself or from the surrounding environment such as the packaging systems, cargo bays, loading and unloading docks, or the warehouse where the device may be stored. Therefore, the device may be placed inside a clean, sealed storage chamber/container during storage or transportation to prevent deposition of contaminants.
However, the seals may not hold well in pressure changes such as when the package is transported via air. In such cases, contaminants that exist in the cargo bay may be introduced into the storage chamber. In addition, the storage chamber and seals themselves may produce contaminants that may damage the device stored within.
While some contaminants may be removed from the device by subsequent flushing with high purity inert gasses or with ionized inert gasses, this process may not be able to remove many contaminants that are transported via gas phase to the surfaces of the device. Special attention must be paid to these contaminants that are not removable at a later time. Therein lies a need for a system and method for protecting such devices during storage, transport and shipping.